Babe’s Rib-eye Steaks

When it comes to steak, the rib eye is by far my favorite cut. There’s just the right amount of fat to make it really tender and juicy. Babe likes his steak well done. Rib-eye is one of the few cuts that you can cook all the way through without turning it into a hockey puck. Thin-cut steaks are great for weekday meals because, even cooked well done, they cook relatively quickly. Pull the steaks out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you are ready to cook it and remove any excess moisture with a paper towel.

Spread softened butter onto the steak and season it with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.

Grill pan, meet readers…..readers, meet grill pan. Get to know it and love it. A cast iron grill pan can be your best friend in the dead of winter. You can have beautiful grilled meats and vegetables, even when there’s a foot of snow on the ground. A word of caution…make sure you have a working exhaust fan before you use the grill. Things can get a little smoky. If you don’t have a grill pan, a cast iron skillet works just as well.

Heat the grill pan or skillet to high heat.

When the grill pan is nice and hot, add the steaks. Don’t move the steaks once they’re on the grill. You’ll get pretty grill marks. The doneness of your steak if up to you. In general, I usually cook my steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Once the steaks are cooked to your desired doneness, take them off the grill and let them sit while you make sauce. Melt some butter in a pan and saute some shallots. When the shallots get soft, add beef stock and red wine. Bring the stock and wine to a boil. It will take about 15 minutes for the liquid to thicken. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the sauce over the steaks and watch Babe smile at how delicious it is. Try it with Saffron Risotto.